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Jen Chaney

TV Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@chaneyj
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Vulture and New York TV critic Jen Chaney previously worked for the Washington Post and has bylines at the New York Times and Vanity Fair. She also wrote As If: The Complete Oral History of Clueless.

  1. David Letterman’s Netflix Show Underscores the Value of the Talk-Show InterviewWith the second episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Letterman continues to make the case that talk shows should be about conversations.
  2. Here and Now Is Here and Not Worth WatchingAlan Ball’s third HBO series is no Six Feet Under or True Blood.
  3. tv review
    Our Cartoon President Should Probably Be ImpeachedWe’ve heard too many of this show’s Trump jokes already.
  4. This Is Us Was Never Just About Jack Pearson’s DeathWhy Jack’s demise should mark the end of This Is Us fan theories.
  5. tv review
    Queer Eye Gets a Netflix Makeover (and It Still Works, Honey)The new Fab Five heads to Trump Country.
  6. obituaries
    Remembering John Mahoney, the Frasier Star With the Twinkle in His EyeOn Frasier and in his film roles, Mahoney’s exuberance shone brightly.
  7. tv review
    2 Dope Queens Is a Terrific Newcomer to Late-Night TVJessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson’s HBO comedy series is like their podcast, just a little fancier.
  8. Altered Carbon Is an Over-Stacked Cyberpunk MessNetflix’s ambitious sci-fi series should be provocative, but it’s mostly just a slog.
  9. close reads
    All the Ways The Good Place Season Finale Is Like LostIn its season-two finale, The Good Place had its very own “hydrogen bomb” moment.
  10. The 10 Most Significant Super Bowl Lead-Out TV Episodes in HistoryRead all the way to the end for a prediction about who will win this year’s Super Bowl.
  11. tv review
    A.P. Bio is Not Exactly Advanced Placement TVThe new NBC sitcom could be at least a B, but it settles for C-minus.
  12. In Citizen Rose, Rose McGowan Speaks Out, Whether You Like It or NotThe E! documentary, airing the same day McGowan’s book is released, is simultaneously intimate and withholding.
  13. A Plea to Save Great News, One of the Funniest Shows on TVPlease don’t cancel it, NBC.
  14. One Day at a Time Is Back, and Rest Assured, It’s Still GreatRita Moreno is physically incapable of being anything less than delightful.
  15. Let’s Talk About the Dark Season FinaleA guide to understanding the German time-travel thriller.
  16. tv review
    Mosaic Is an Intriguing Puzzle, But Your Patience With It May VarySteven Soderbergh tells a story of a ski-town murder and intentionally doesn’t fill in all the blanks.
  17. The Rise of the Messed-Up Parent on TVToday’s parents are materialistic, neurotic, and very, very immature.
  18. The 50 Most Definitive Family TV Shows, RankedFrom The Simpsons to the Kardashians, these shows made a mark on the genre, and American culture.
  19. tv review
    Black Lightning Is the Perfect Superhero Show for the MomentIts slick, smart, and infused with a social conscience.
  20. Where Does the Family TV Show Go From Here?From The Waltons to Roseanne 2.0.
  21. Is Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams the New Black Mirror?We’re slipping into the twilight zone.
  22. Spring Is the Best Season for Rom-ComsBroadcast News. Notting Hill. All those teen movies with prom scenes. Are you really going to argue with this?
  23. tv review
    David Bowie: The Last Five Years Brings a Pop Icon Back to LifeOn what would have been Bowie’s 71st birthday, a terrific documentary about the last chapter of his career.
  24. This Year’s Golden Globes Were Elevated by Women (and Especially Oprah)Only Winfrey made everybody feel what the moment was about.
  25. golden globes 2018
    The Golden Globes Red-Carpet Coverage Changes, But Only a LittleThe preshows on E! and NBC were more serious than usual, and just as awkward as ever.
  26. chat room
    Natalie Portman on How the Time’s Up Initiative Will WorkThe actress on how the effort may affect multiple industries and, on a much smaller scale, the Golden Globes on Sunday.
  27. tv review
    The End of the F***ing World Isn’t Nearly As Bleak As It LooksWhat starts out as a dark British drama ultimately finds glimmers of humanity.
  28. Who Should (and Will) Win at the Golden Globes This Weekend?The Post or The Shape of Water? The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or SMILF?
  29. 39 TV Shows We Can’t Wait to See in 2018American Crime Story, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Atlanta, Blue Planet II, and much, much more.
  30. tv review
    Grown-ish Still Has Some Growing to DoThe Black-ish spinoff has potential, but like most college students, it’s trying to find itself.
  31. The Debut Episode of 9-1-1 Is SensationalRyan Murphy’s Fox series about first responders is engrossing, intense, and stars some great actors as lifesavers.
  32. Black Mirror’s New Season Is a Little Light, Until It Gets Darker Than EverExcept for a strong episode directed by Jodie Foster, the season is too gratuitous and too gimmicky.
  33. vulture lists
    19 Great Christmas Sitcom Episodes to Stream Right NowFrom The Office, Black-ish, Friends, and more.
  34. The Most Surreal TV Moments of 2017This year had a ton of WTF moments, including what we watched on TV.
  35. Why Holly Hunter’s Performance in Broadcast News Resonates 30 Years LaterOne of the greatest rom-coms of all time is especially fascinating to rewatch in 2017, thanks to its powerhouse of a female lead.
  36. tv review
    Gunpowder Is Not at All ExplosiveDespite the presence of Kit Harington, this HBO mini-series about the Gunpowder Plot is dull.
  37. a christmas story live
    The Highs and Lows of A Christmas Story Live!The good, the bad, and the leg lamp of Fox’s live musical.
  38. In Defense of Hayden Christensen’s Performance in the Star Wars Prequels#JusticeforHayden
  39. In 2017, Netflix Officially Became the Best Network for Scripted TVWhat really struck me about Netflix this year was how often its releases genuinely surprised me.
  40. The 10 Best New TV Shows of 2017The Handmaid’s Tale, Big Little Lies, and more.
  41. The Surprises and Snubs of the 2018 Golden Globe NominationsNo Jordan Peele or Julia Louis-Dreyfus? If you say so, Globes.
  42. Which Shows Will Be Nominated for the 2018 Golden Globes?Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Big Little Lies are safe bets.
  43. The Crown’s Second Season Is Essential TVSettle in for some sumptuous, instructive royal watching.
  44. Jen Chaney’s 10 Best TV Shows of 2017Big Little Lies was the most invigorating series I watched all year.
  45. The Kennedy Center Honors Were a Happy, Trump-less CelebrationIt was the first time a president has missed the occasion in 23 years.
  46. Netflix’s Dark Is Like Stranger Things, But Also Nothing Like Stranger ThingsA mystery-box show complete with secrets, twists, and enticing cliffhangers.
  47. This Is Us Has Gotten Darker This Season, and It’s Better Because of ItFinally, the tearjerker has gotten more authentically sad.
  48. Can We Talk About How Charming The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Is?Amy Sherman-Palladino’s latest will feel familiar to Gilmore Girls fans.
  49. The Crown and Other Shows to Watch on ThanksgivingIt is our solemn duty to eat too much food, collapse onto a sofa, then binge-watch television in a tryptophan-induced haze.
  50. Godless Is So Good, You’ll Like It Even If You Don’t Like WesternsIn many ways, it’s like your grandfather’s Western. But it also speaks to your mom and your sister and your best girlfriend.
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